How to: Scandinavian Flick

The rally-car technique explained in seven steps.

Beginning in the 1960s, Scandinavian rally-car drivers popularized a technique that became known as the “Scandinavian flick.” The goal is to briefly unbalance the car enough to produce a spectacular drift. It’s done by inducing oversteer—the sliding of rear wheels—that in turn will carry the vehicle through a corner and scrub off speed in the process. The point of the technique, aside from looking cool, is to allow better car control by “steering” the car with the throttle. So here’s our Arthur Murray–inspired guide to the seven-step Scandinavian flick. One last thing, a mandatory mommy warning: It’s not a good idea for beginners to do this on public streets or in a nursing-home parking lot.

STEP 1: Begin by positioning the car toward the far outside of the corner’s entry—for example, in the right-hand turn depicted here, get on the outer left of the entry.

STEP 2: Just before the normal turn-in point, quickly steer the wheel away from the corner—this is the “flick.”

STEP 3: A split second later, you’re at the proper turn-in point. Turn in sharply while simultaneously lifting abruptly off the throttle (you might also want to stab at the brakes).

STEP 4: Get it right, and the rear end of the car will come around dramatically and begin a lurid slide toward the outside of the corner. Meanwhile, the front of the car will point toward the apex of the corner.

STEP 5: To avoid spinning out, and to maintain the proper trajectory of the car, countersteer (turn into the slide) while gently reapplying the throttle.

STEP 6: As the car drifts past the apex of the corner, straighten the steering in a gradual way while carefully feathering the throttle to keep the car pointed toward the corner exit.

STEP 7: If you’re not off in a ditch or a snowbank, you’ve done it right. Get back on the gas and get ready for the next corner.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.